A student investigates the motion of falling objects by dropping paper cones from a high balcony.
The student drops a single paper cone, and then repeats the experiment with two, three, and four identical cones stacked together.
Name two measuring instruments that the student would need for his investigation.
Identify the independent variable and the dependent variable in this investigation.
State one control variable (a factor that must be kept constant) to ensure a fair test.
The student prepares a table to record the results. What would be the two most appropriate column headings, including suitable units, for this table?
Suggest one way the student could improve the reliability of the measurements in this experiment.
The student notices that the cones accelerate immediately after release and then reach a constant speed.
Name the two vertical forces acting on a cone as it falls, and state which force is larger whilst the cone is still accelerating downwards.
Explain, in terms of forces, why the cone first accelerates and then falls at a constant speed.
